As part of the deal, the landlord gave the Dutch chemical and fuel maker naming rights to the building, which is now called LyondellBasell Tower. About 1,200 people work in the company's downtown offices at 1221 McKinney, but some employees are being relocated there.

In unrelated announcements, both office developments are undergoing operational changes.

The short blue and white building across from the skyscrapers that once belonged to Enron Corp. was built to house the children of the company's employees. The property, which even resembles the adjacent towers with a curved wall of reflective glass, opened two months after Enron filed for bankruptcy.

Day-care operations there were short-lived and the property at 1505 Louisiana was later sold to Chevron Corp., which is opening its own company-sponsored child care center in the space this week.

One of the latest deals was an 18-acre land sale to Sam's Club at the Shadow Creek Ranch residential development.

The discount retailer purchased the Pearland site for a 136,000-square- foot store, according to TGB Crosswell, which sold the land to Sam's. The sale closed in December and construction is expected to start this spring with an opening planned for October.

After a couple of slow years, land sales and development are picking up, said TGB Crosswell's Allen Crosswell, who brokered the transaction. Brendan Lynch of CBRE was also involved in negotiations.

"It's starting to move at a much better pace," Crosswell said. "Retail is starting to come back. The restaurant business is healthy."

Crosswell points to several new deals taking shape, adding construction activity and new jobs.

Kelsey-Seybold recently identified a site for an administrative office building in Pearland.

The 170,000-square-foot building will be developed on 18 acres on the northeast corner of Kirby Drive and Shadow Creek Parkway.

Also in the area, a medical manufacturing facility for Cardiovascular Systems began operating in 2010, and Merit Medical Systems recently selected Pearland for its newest R&D and manufacturing facility.